A World Away
by TheFuturesALieThatNeverArrives
Summary: Kurt's just gotten used to boarding at Dalton and having Blaine around to help him out. Their relationship is blossoming and they're loving every minute of it - but is something about to happen which will spin these lovebirds in a circle? Blaine can't help it and Kurt is brave, but how long will he last?
1. Chapter 1

_Hi there :) So, I'm your author for this fanfic. It's my first, so I'm a bit nervous about this story but please do leave a review so I can see how my writing's going! Any spelling or grammar mistakes – sorry. I've tried my best, though, so there shouldn't be too much wrong with it. I am Australian, so that will explain any oddly spelled words to some people too :)_

_Just before you read my first chapter, which I'm afraid to say is incredibly short,_ yes_,_ _this story is very dramatic. At least at the beginning, anyway._

_I'm just about to go back to school after holidays, so I should be updating every week or two, but sorry if there are any really long delays._

_This is _my _take on the Klaine relationship, so if you don't agree with it, I'm sorry and I hope you find a fanfic you like _

_Onto the story, now!_

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee, nor do I own any songs or other things that appear in this story apart from my own original characters._

* * *

**A World Away**

* * *

"I'm moving to England."

I'm moving to England.

_England._

"Yo-you're what? Did you just- I mean- You're what?" he choked out. This was not happening. It couldn't be. He'd just misheard, surely.

"I'm moving to England..." Or maybe he hadn't. "Kurt, I'm really sorry." Blaine leaned against the side of the bench, his breath fogging the air as he spoke. "I tried really hard to get my parents to let me stay and board at Dalton, but I think they think it's too far away. I tried to explain to them that what I have here is great but I don't think they understand. I've worked so hard to get what I have here, I can't just leave now – and I just got you, too. I mean-" Kurt knew Blaine was being sincere. He could see it in his eyes, the way he spoke, even the way he was standing. Eyes to the ground, brow furrowed, feet together, one hand fiddling with the other glove, head tilted slightly to one side, in his eyes was the sincerest regret that he had to be saying this at all, like he's rather be in any other situation but this one.

But, despite how genuine Blaine's sorrow seemed and how earnest he was, Kurt was unable not to be slightly annoyed at him on the inside. How could Blaine just decide to leave him so suddenly? It was unjust; so unfair.

But then the words really sank in and he started to lose it a little. The anger was gone, but the panic started to settle into the pit of his stomach. The cold winter wind blew around him; his cheeks were numb. The air was pressing in on him – it was heavier than it should have been; it was choking him, inescapable.

Blaine kept talking in front of him but Kurt couldn't hear him over the strong gusts of wind. He couldn't move – he breathed in the cold, dense air and his lungs froze. He tried to move but his legs were rooted to the ground.

'_England__. Blaine's moving to __England__. Say something, you idiot, or he'll think- I can't! I'll probably break down or say something really stupid..."_

As his inner thoughts conflicted, Kurt struggled to get his attention back onto Blaine, who'd been talking the whole time.

"- and I really don't think I can change my parents' minds, you know? They're pretty set on it." Blaine shook his head and looked at Kurt properly for the first time since the awful conversation had started, shuffling his feet. "...Kurt? Are- are you okay?" He stepped towards the other boy and reached out a hand. "God, Kurt – I'm so sorry. I really hate to dump this all on you..." He spoke slowly and gently, "I know it's a shock; I'm shocked too. And I'm so sorry I took so long to tell you, I just didn't know how. And even when I did, I couldn't. You just look too happy when I see you; I didn't want to r- Kurt?"

Kurt stumbled backwards at Blaine's touch, still unable to speak. He turned and ran to the edge of the little clearing where they'd been sitting and swept through the narrow, overgrown path towards the car park.

Blaine turned and followed him, switching from a slow pace to a jog. "Kurt! Kurt, wait up, come on..."

Kurt ran out into the car park, panting slightly, slipping on the loose gravel with a gasp but regaining his step. He turned back to Blaine as he appeared from the path, long enough to hear his voice crack when he said, "I didn't mean to upset you", before the spinning grey sky brought him to his knees and the rough gravel faded.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! Thanks to my one reviewer, Eponime, from last chapter! ;) Much appreciated. I'm just going to keep posting chapters each week (hopefully) and hope to get more reviews – or just views!_

_My first week back at school was – well, it's school. You know how it is. Turns out writing is a great way to spend spare time and de-stress a little! :D_

_Once again, sorry for an spelling and/or grammar mistakes, as well as any inaccurate information or documentation of anything. The thing with me is I don't plan where my story's going (although I have a few ideas for later on), so I just write on the spot, which means it can get really boring sometimes so SORRY for that in advance! I hope you enjoy this chapter though, even though it's even shorter than the first one :_/ _Trust me, though, they get longer after this one! The ends and beginnings of chapters overlap a little bit, which I did on purpose in case you forget what's happened and to give the view of the other character in the same situation!_

_Onto the story, now!_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee or any part of Glee, including songs, characters or any other things belonging to Glee which may appear in this story. All I own are my original characters and the storyline._

_A World Away_

_Blaine made it to the car park just in time to see Kurt turn around. He stopped and looked at him silently for a moment. Kurt looked scared as a deer in the headlights. His eyes stared unblinkingly as Blaine looked back at him._

"_I didn't mean to upset you, Kurt."_

_Blaine's eyes widened as Kurt dropped to the ground like a forgotten ragdoll swapped for cookies._

"_Oh my God – Kurt!"_

_He ran to Kurt's side and knelt down, taking his hands. He was pale as a sheet and cold as ice, but thankfully light enough to carry._

_Unconscious in the back seat of Blaine's car, Kurt looked almost peaceful, but Blaine had no idea what he was going to do when he woke up._

'_You idiot, _why_ did you tell him here? That was the most stupid thing you've ever done. I can't believe you thought it was a good idea to bring him here, of all places, to tell him the news. _Of course_ he'd take it badly, what'd you think he'd do, smile and say okay then continue on like nothing happened? Goddamnit, Blaine...'_

He gently spread a spare blanket over Kurt and put another under his head as a pillow as he told himself on repeatedly. He pushed back a loose strand of Kurt's normally perfectly styled hair and sighed, wondering what was going to happen next. He gently brushed gravel dust off Kurt's clothes and face, his eyes drifting from those pale cheeks slowly regaining colour to his perfect mouth, usually stretched into a smile with those perfect lips- but no, it wasn't the time for that. Blaine stroked his cheek for a while, waiting for Kurt to properly wake up. He was just about to go wait in the front seat when Kurt spoke. Lifting his head slightly, he said quietly, with the faintest hint of a smirk, "Don't think you can get away from me that easily."

Blaine smiled softly, relieved, '_There's the Kurt I know,'_ stroking his cheek once more and replying gently, "I guess I'll just have to find another way." He stood up, "You take a rest; I think you need one. I'll drive us back."

Closing the door and hopping in the driver's seat, Blaine breathed a covert sigh of relief and turned the heater up and the radio on quietly. Waiting to turn onto the road, he glanced behind him at the skinny boy curled up in the back seat, already asleep again. He turned back around and hummed quietly to the radio, trying to distract himself. Singing was, after all, his go-to method for solutions to problems. Or if not solutions, just relief.

"_If they wanna rock, they rock_

_If they wanna roll, they roll_

_They can roll with the punches_

_Long as they fell like they're in control_

_If they wanna stay, they stay_

_If they wanna go, they go_

_They don't care how they get there_

_Long as they get somewhere they know"_


	3. Chapter 3

_Ah, here we are again. I can't believe how quickly each week seems to be going! I can't get enough writing done! I know my friend Eponime will be eager for a new chapter so I'm uploading now instead of Sunday night, 'cause I'm a nice friend ;)_

_SO! An exciting revelation for you here – the chapters start getting to a HALF REASONABLE LENGTH! :D Please, try to keep your excitement to a minimum._

_A bit better, still a bit angsty (at least at the beginning), sorry, but y'know...we'll see how the story plays out. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE END! 'Tis a mystery to all _

_ON WITH THE STORY NOW! Please do review my story; it would make my day if you did! Also any suggestions or thoughts about this story would be great to see ;D_

_DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Glee_

* * *

_**A World Away**_

* * *

Kurt awoke to the strange sensation of the combined smells of car freshener and hair gel – the latter a scent which reminded him strongly of Blaine. He was immediately aware of where he was. He was overwhelmed with memories and feelings; emotions he wished he didn't have to relate to that scent he had become so fond of.

He felt a hand on his cheek and realised Blaine was right there next to him, as he thought he'd always be. He squeezed back the pointless tears that threatened to run down his cheek, knowing from years of experience that crying doesn't help a situation, even though he couldn't keep them at bay forever. Instead, Kurt decided to try and make light of the situation and attempted a joke.

"Don't think you can get away from me that easily," he said slightly groggily, inwardly horrified at the way his voice sounded right then. But seeing Blaine smile at his feeble joke through his squinted eyes was enough to take the horror – and some of the unspoken tension – away. That smile was amazing. That soft laugh belonged to the boy who had saved him, just by stopping for him in a hallway, from doing who-knows-what if they hadn't met that day.

"I guess I'll just have to find another way," Kurt smiled softly at his reply; some form of normality. Nothing had changed...except everything. "You take a rest; I think you need one. I'll drive us back."

As Blaine's hand left his cheek Kurt shuddered and twisted, getting more comfortable, wanting nothing more than to have it back. He heard Blaine sigh as he slid into the driver's seat and turned the radio on quietly, and felt a gush of warm air cover his face and soothe his cold arms. He was drifting to sleep as soon as the engine roared to life and the car was turning onto the road, Blaine's humming fading like background music.

* * *

"_The glow that the sun gets_

_Right around sunset_

_Helps me realise_

_That this is just a journey_

_Drop your worries..."_

* * *

"..._and that heaven is overrated_

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?_

_One without a permanent scar?_

_And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there..."_

* * *

Kurt was rudely jolted awake by a speed bump getting in the way of the car wheels. Lifting his head slightly, he could see Blaine in the front, rocking his head gently to the music, tapping his hands on the steering wheel while humming along. He lay and listened a while, trying to pick the name of the song.

"I thought you'd be out cold 'til we got back," Kurt jumped and looked into the rear -view mirror to see Blaine staring right back at him. He smiled and Kurt felt his heart beat even faster than it had been before.

"I-" he cleared his throat, "I didn-"

"Don't look so scared," Blaine smiled his charming yet sensitive smile again and continued, eyes on the road, "I didn't mean to shock you. I'm surprised you're awake, though; did the music wake you up? I can turn it down if you want me to, it's no-"

"Blaine, it's fine. Just a speed bump, I think." Kurt cut in, rubbing his eyes. "How long have we been on the road?"

"About half an hour – we're nearly back. How are you feeling?" Blaine looked Kurt straight in the eye in the mirror and Kurt struggled to tear his eyes away, sitting up slowly. He knew exactly what Blaine was really referring to, and couldn't figure out how to reply to it. He decided to go with an uncommitted response which could apply to anything.

"Oh – I – yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine." He almost tried to convince himself. Blaine clearly wasn't buying it but played along, much to Kurt's relief, and went back to singing quietly.

"_This is the start of something beautiful_

_This is the start of something new_

_And you are the one to make lose it all_

_And you are the start of something new, oh..."_

"...Ed Sheeran? I love him! I – I mean – I love his songs. He's a great songwriter..." Kurt trailed off blushing and glared at his hands while Blaine shook his head and smiled to himself.

"He's a great singer, too," Blaine said, "And his hair is just great; I mean, there's just something about him that really makes me connect with him..." he continued, looking in the mirror trying not to laugh. "...anyway, he seems like a really great guy and all, and his _eyes _are just _so amazing_..." He laughed and looked in the mirror again, only to see Kurt's face and laugh even harder. "I'm just kidding! I'm kidding! You should've seen your face, though!" he said between bursts of chuckling. He glanced at Kurt again and directed his eyes back onto the road saying with a straight face, "Sorry. Not funny at all."

Kurt's face may have looked fierce and furious but on the inside his heart was beating a million miles an hour after the mini heart attack Blaine had just given him. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but smile at the face Blaine made when he was nervous or guilty - or both.

As they pulled into the Dalton car park Kurt gave a dramatic sigh and replied, "Well, I guess I can forgive you just this once..." He unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his bag, opening the door and hopping out into the gale-force, finger-numbing winds outside. "Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah – I'll be in in a minute, I just have to get some stuff out of here. I'll meet you in there," he smiled.

Kurt shrugged and walked into the dorm building, glancing back to see Blaine sitting back in his seat, before heading towards his room.

He'd dumped his bag on his bed and was just heading back down to the kitchen for a warm drink when he was confronted by David in the hall.

"Hey, Kurt, could I have some help with something?"

Kurt rubbed his head gently, looking David up and down slightly suspiciously, slightly worriedly. David looked genuinely nervous about something.

"Sure, David – everything alright?"

"Yeah – I just need you to help me pick a song for something. Um- can we do this in the choir room?"

"Sure thing."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello again! Yes I'M SORRY it's been almost TWO WEEKS! My schedule has been jam-packed so I just haven't had time to update :/ BUT, if you're lucky I might update twice this weekend, I'm not sure yet! Yet another reasonably lengthier chapter for whoever's reading this – yay for you and me! I don't feel like I'm depriving you anymore._

_ANGST YAY okay so sorry but you'll have to put up with it! I haven't done much writing at all recently, so updates might end up being every two weeks depending on how things work out. Sorry to anyone eagerly awaiting my updates...eheh._

_ON WITH THE STORY, NOW! Thanks again to my good friend Eponime for her reviews, and it would be just dandy if anybody else reading this could leave one, too!_

_DISCLAIMER: I'm still working on buying Glee. Please, be patient._

_**A World Away**_

Blaine watched Kurt walk into the monumental dorm building, before slumping back in his seat and sighing heavily.

'_What're you doing, Blaine?' _he asked himself. '_You can't just avoid it forever, you'll have to bring it up with him again sometime...But it's so painful! I can't hurt him like that again- but it'll still hurt you both when you leave, anyway! You may as well try to get _a bit _more comfortable with the idea... Oh, yeah, I'm sure Kurt will appreciate my bringing up of the subject. He fainted, for God's sake; clearly it's not an easy discussion for him! But he needs to know the full story; he deserves to hear it from you. He needs to know what's going to happen next... ugh, fine. You win. I'll talk to him soon."_

Resigned to the fact that the angel of his left shoulder had prevailed over the 'devil' of his right, Blaine heaved another sigh and leaned over to grab his bag, digging up his phone from the depths of the pocket to check his messages. He had one text and two missed calls, both from David.

Unlocking his phone, the text read:

_**'Hey Blaine, where are you? Are you with Kurt?'**_

The voicemail was very much the same, riddled with stutters, accompanied by some umm's and a nervous-sounding David's voice.

"_...only I kind of need Kurt, so if you're with him could you let me know? Um – well – yeah, just – yeah. Let me know, yeah? Thanks Blaine..."_

Blaine grabbed his gloves and put on his jacket, then hopped out into the freezing winter air. He walked quickly into the dorms and shrugged off his jacket, rubbing his hands together. He nodded to Wes who approached.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Hey, want a coffee?"

"Yeah, sure. What've you been doing?" Blaine asked as they headed to the kitchen.

'Ah, just homework, trying to sort out Regionals for the Warblers, keeping Josh alive – the usual." Blaine laughed a little. Josh was their dorm buddy – that kind of friend most people have who's up for anything and everything, but sometime does really stupid stuff in the process. Like clogging the whole toilet block, or breaking the chandelier.

"What this time?"

"He thought hanging from the awnings outside his room would be fun." Wes squinted his eyes as if trying to find the point in the story when it would be considered 'fun'. "Turns out it was _not _okay with Ms Charles. Speaking of, how'd she mark your English midyear? Mine was a total fail – she said my creative piece 'lacked imaginative poise'. I'd like to show her some imaginative poise..."

Wes pulled a face at the thought of the teacher and his result as he pushed a mug of coffee over to Blaine, who picked it up and sighed. He took a swig of the scalding hot substance and relished the heat of it on his hands, wrapping his fingers around it.

"I guess I did okay. My writing needs more description, according to her, but I mean, it's my writing so what should I care what she thinks?"

"...Because she's the teacher? She decides what grade we get, whether we pass the class – she basically decides our future!"

"Yeah, well, some of us others aren't so lucky..." Blaine looked at his coffee glumly, almost as if willing it to tell him what to do.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry. I totally forgot."

"Nah, it's cool, I wish I could forget my inevitable and impending death."

"Don't get all dramatic about this again, dude. It was bad enough the first time, plus it'll just make you feel worse." Wes looked at Blaine worriedly as he rubbed his face.

"I dunno man...I don't think I can do this. You have no idea what's happened in the past hour and a half." Blaine propped his head on his arms, palms to temples, and looked at the table.

"Do you want to talk about it? Blaine? Dude, seriously, what's up? Oh, were you with Kurt?" Blaine nodded still looking at the table. "Well...well, if you need to talk I'm here, man. We're buddies. Drink your coffee, you'll feel better warmer. I'm just gonna go turn the heating up a bit..."

As Wes walked away Blaine rubbed his eyes and looked up. Blinking hard, he took a long swig of his coffee and drained half of it in one go. He spun around on his chair and faced the window, watching some of the first snow of the season fall. He turned his ear towards the stairs where he thought he heard a piano being played, the distance making the noise fade.

"You cool?" Wes had returned.

Blaine spun back around. "Huh? – Oh, yeah. Yeah. And yeah, I was with Kurt before...he didn't take the news so well." Wes raised an eyebrow and Blaine added guiltily, "H...He may or may not have tried to run and fainted." He grimaced at his own words and Wes' wide eyes. "Yeah...I don't really want to talk about it right now." Wes nodded understandingly and Blaine nodded back in thanks. They both looked in different directions and took a sip of coffee at the same time. Sighing, they put down their mugs and sat in silence, the sound of the piano drifting down the stairs.

"Well...I'd better, uh – I'd better go do some more work while David's not interrupting me – where is he, anyway? You seen him recently?" Wes asked curiously. It was unusual for David not to come running for coffee, which he seemed to be able to smell a mile off. Suddenly, the piano stopped and there was silence.

Blaine shook his head. "Nah, sorry. Oh – I did get a text and a few calls from him before, though. He sounded a bit tense in the message he left. I think he was looking for Kurt, though." The piano began again and its volume rose in a crescendo –

"Oh, yeah, Kurt came in before you. Went up to his room, I think."

and there could be heard a faint, sweet voice harmonising with a stronger, lower voice, rising over the sound of the piano.

Both boys turned towards the stairs to listen for a moment.

"...I think I found them both," Blaine said, turning back around. Draining the remainder of his coffee, Wes followed him around the large kitchen bench and up the two flights of stairs to the source of the music – the choir room. The boys stopped at the closed door, glancing at each other. The piano was quiet again, the voices within muffled.

"Do we...Can we...?"

Wes shrugged and slowly opened the door. There were Kurt and David at the piano with their backs to the boys, singing. But as Blaine listened, he realised what they were singing. Was that really...were they actually...? David sang quietly, playing the chords, while Kurt stood nearby.

"_And it's dark on a cold December,_

_But I got you to keep me warm_

_If you're broken I will mend you,_

_And I keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on, now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love, I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now"_

Then Kurt joined in and the song was taken to a whole new level. Blaine stared stupidly, his eyes fixed on Kurt.

"_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind, I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now"_

As they repeated the last chorus in harmony and faded out of the song, David playing the final chords on the piano, Blaine just stared, transfixed.

"_I will love you better now."_

"Can we help you boys?"

Wes nudged Blaine sharply and turned to the others. "Uh – no. No, we were just wondering who was playing. Nice song..." he said, looking a little confused. Blaine rubbed his ribs and glared at Wes, mumbling, "What was that for?..." He leaned on the side of the doorway, staring at his feet.

"Thanks. We were – it was just –" David looked at Kurt, who raised his eyebrows and lifted his shoulders. "We were just thinking of songs we could do for Regionals."

Wes nodded slowly. "Right...well, that sounded okay. Want to tell me what it's actually for now?

David looked uncomfortable and glanced at Kurt again, shuffling his feet.

Kurt opened his mouth instead. "David, here, just wanted to...to..." Kurt was distracted. Wes smirked and followed his gaze to the boy next to him – to see Blaine wiping the tears off his damp eyelashes.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again :) Yes, you ARE lucky! I'm feeling particularly generous and have decided to give you another chapter this weekend. It's finally starting to get a little interesting! :O Once again, a long-ish chapter ;)

I think you'll be getting the drift of this story now, but yes, there is angst. I hope you love it. Thanks, once again, to my friend Eponime for reviewing, and if anybody else could that would just brighten my day!

ON WITH THE STORY, NOW!

DISCLAIMER: If anybody wants to help me raise some money to buy Glee, my twitter is georgie_starkid ;) if you want to talk to the man who MAKES Glee, go visit MrRPMurphey

* * *

**A World Away**

* * *

David took a deep breath. "I need you to help me find a song. For my girlfriend. She...I haven't been treating her right. I mean – I _have_, but – I mean – we haven't exactly been spending much time together and things got complicated and I can't help but think that-" He stopped at Kurt's questioning gaze. "Sorry. I just need a song to say I'm sorry, but I can fix it, too. I haven't been cheating on her or anything like that; I never would. Anyway, I just want a simple enough song to apologise." He let out a big breath and sat at the piano. Kurt nodded.

"Very...gentlemanly," he smiled a little, "Okay, I'm sure there's something that'll work. Are there any artists yo-" he was cut short by David.

Sorry, Kurt, but could I just ask that you don't tell anybody about this? I just don't really want it getting out, y'know..."

Kurt smiled reassuringly. "Sure. Mom's the word," he said, winking. "So, any ideas in mind? Or are we just starting from scratch?"

"Scratch."

"Great. We have the whole world of music before us! If we're looking for a more simple love song we'd be safer to go with a singer, rather than a band. What about...oh. I've got it. Ed Sheeran." Kurt looked excited at the prospect and looked at David, who was nodding slowly.

"I know him...kind of. What song?"

"Lego House. Hands down, a definite. From the look on your face, I assume you know it." He leaned on the piano and gestured for David to play. "Start us off."

"_I'm gonna pick up the pieces, and build a lego house_

_If things go wrong we can knock it down_

_My three words have two meanings, but there's one thing on my mind_

_It's all for you._

_And it's dark on a cold December,_

_But I got you to keep me warm"_

The way David was singing the song surprised Kurt. Not that he was bad, either – he was actually really good. It was just that –

"I've never heard you sing solo before."

David stopped in the middle of the chorus and looked at Kurt nervously. "What? I know it didn't sound that great- I don't usually do solos- I get nervous." They looked at each other and laughed at the unexpected piece of information. Anybody who knew David knew he was NEVER shy – until now.

"Well – no, I didn't know that, but I didn't mean you sounded at all bad. I was thinking very much the opposite, actually. You sing really well – with a purpose. You're showing the insecurity you have through your voice, without overdoing it. A lot of people have trouble with that. You have talent, David. You should go for some solos!" David looked wary at that and Kurt turned back to the piano. "Right, sorry I interrupted. You can continue now."

"_I'm outta sight, I'm outta mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done,_

_I think I love you better now._

_Don't hold me down_

_I think the braces are breaking_

_And it's more than I can take"_

"Okay – just a suggestion – you don't have to use this idea, but maybe you could take the piano away in that part. It really shows your voice and just _you_. That's what this song's for, isn't it? You want her to notice you." David nodded and Kurt sat next to him at the piano. "And in this next bit, just a gentle piano accompaniment – it can't be too overpowering." He played the chords quietly in example. "You try."

"_I'm outta touch, I'm outta love,_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done_

_I think I love you better now."_

Kurt noticed the choir room door open in his peripheral vision but decided not to acknowledge it and distract David, instead joining in the last, slower chorus with a harmony.

"_I'm outta touch, I'm outta love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done_

_I will love you better now."_

"Can we help you boys?" Kurt asked Wes and Blaine who were lurking in the doorway.

"Uh – no," said Wes, looking slightly guilty. "We were just wondering who was playing. Nice song..."

Kurt turned to Blaine who was rubbing his ribs looking at the ground, then to David who spoke.

"Thanks. We were – it was just-" He looked at Kurt verging on desperately, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Just thinking of songs we could do for Regionals."

David was a terrible liar. Although in all fairness, he was under quite a bit of his own pressure. Wes leaned on the doorframe and stared at his best friend. "Right. Sounded okay. Want to tell me what it's actually for now?" Wes was a great guy but he _had _to know what was going on. Especially with David; they were just like brothers.

Kurt cut in, saving David from Wes' piercing look. "W- David here just wanted to...t-to..." Blaine's attempt to subtly wipe away his tears distracted Kurt, and in turn the others, following his gaze. "Blaine?" Kurt rushed over to him. "Blaine, what's wrong?" He looked at Wes and David questioningly, to which they both shrugged. "Alright, c'mon, it's okay...let's go, come on..." Putting one arm around Blaine and taking his other hand, Kurt led him out of the room, giving the others a confused glance on the way out.

Walking towards Blaine's room, Kurt tried to find out what was wrong. "Blaine, you can tell me what's wrong. What's happened?" Kurt set him down on his bed and looked at him concernedly. Finally he kneeled on the ground in front of Blaine and took his hands.

"Blaine, look at me."

Blaine looked up at Kurt with shy eyes – something Kurt wasn't used to at all.

"I'm sorry."

Kurt blinked. "What for?"

Blaine laughed bitterly and looked back down at his hands.

"You know what. Everything. For dumping the news on you so suddenly today..." Blaine looked at him and Kurt swallowed nervously.

'_You're going to have to discuss this sometime, dummy. Just be strong and do it now. Avoiding it is just stupid.' _Kurt nodded. "Blaine, it – it's okay. You had no hand in it. Your parents probably just want to spend some tim with you, since they hardly ever see you now." He sat next o Blaine on the bed, holding his hand. "I know it's going to be really hard on both of us, but we just need to be really strong and – and make the most of the time we have left together. Okay? When do you leave, anyway?"

"February. Right in the middle of school."

"Oh God." Thought Kurt, "That's only two months away. That's so soon..."

"I know it's soon."

Kurt looked surprised. "Di- Did I say that out loud?" Blaine nodded and he laughed. "Oh gosh. Well, it is." He stodd up, holding his hand out for Blaine who hesitated. "Well, there's no point wasting our time crying and fainting when we should be enjoying it!"

Blaine looked convinced at that and took Kurt's hand, standing up and attempting a small smile. They stares into each other's eyes (something Kurt was sure he could do for days if he was given the chance) until –

"What can I do for you, boys?" Kurt rolled his eyes and turned around to see a stunned looking Wes and David standing in the doorway, like deer in the headlights.

"Nothing! We just wanted to see if Blaine was okay – which he is!" They both gave cheesy grins and backed out of the doorway at Kurt's deathstare.

"Honestly, you'd think those two would have something better to do..."

"It's Wes and David. They have absolutely _nothing _better to do."

Kurt chuckled and nodded, shrugging. Looking back to Blaine his smile faded and he leaned in, placing a gentlre kiss on his soft lips. When the action was returned, Kurt realised that this was what he'd miss most when Blaine left. The physical side of their relationship. They weren't the most physical couple out but their moments were never rushed, but full of passion and meaning and – and _love_. You could mention it as many times through a computer screen as you wanted but it would never mean as much as it would in person _just once_. Kurt's moments with Blaine were his best. They were precious.

Kurt broke away from their kiss at the sound of a small cough.

"Um – sorry..." said a shy voice.

"No problem, Ben. What's up?"

"You guys need to come see something..." And so they followed the small boy out of the room, their moment gone but not forgotten.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello again. A week already?! Can't have been, surely! Well, here's your chapter. Both myself and my friend Eponime (still my only reviewer ;P) are excited for this chapter – FINALLY ANOTHER CHARACTER! I've tried my best with this, so I hope you like it :)_

_PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW if you have something to say – whether it be suggestions, tips, advice or criticism – anything to improve my writing! It would mean the world to me._

_On with the story, now!_

_DISCLAIMER: I've decided I'm never going to own Glee, so I've settled on either being an author or a zookeeper. Everybody should come visit me at the zoo. Or the bookstore where I'll chat with fellow book nerds._

**A World Away**

Kurt's bright blue-green eyes, tinted grey by the dimly lit room, bored into his. Blaine twitched to corners of his mouth in the slightest of smiles, leaning into Kurt as the other boy leaned into him, his senses crashing as their lips touched in the most sensitive of kisses, as if the other would break, then spreading as they relaxed into each other. Kurt's lips were like silk on Blaine's; smooth, soft, like nothing else he'd ever experienced. Kurt smelled of – well, Kurt. His all-important hair product, moisturiser: the things Blaine had become accustomed to encountering when within close proximity to his boyfriend. His lips tasted faintly of mints which he was forever popping into his mouth and the room was silent, all of Blaine's senses heightened by the absence of vision.

Then suddenly Kurt broke away, and looked at the doorway. Blaine sighed softly and turned around too. Ben, a shy, quiet, pleasant younger boarder was sticking his head in the doorway, apologising quietly.

"No problem, Ben. What's up?" Blaine asked.

"You guys need to come see something..." said Ben, awkwardly gesturing down the hall and stepping back to let them out. "Josh...um..."

Blaine rolled his eyes as he walked next to Ben down the hall, wondering what Josh had done this time. "I'm sure it'll be okay," he said as they round a corner and continued down the hall, their footsteps muffled by the carpet. He felt he was more trying to convince himself of this as he tried to brace himself for what was to come.

Approaching the door of the bedroom Josh and Ben shared with apprehension, Kurt asked, "Ben, how bad is it?"

The younger boy stuttered, "I – I don't – it's going to be okay..." He looked to Blaine who nodded reassuringly and swung the door open.

Leaning in warily, the boys evaluated the destruction.

"Wait, where's Josh? Usually he stays at the scene of the crime..."

Then, from under a messy pile of sheets and blankets covering the overturned bunk bed in the centre of the room sprang Josh. Well...some of Josh. It appeared he couldn't stand up. Instead, he just sat smiling like an excited puppy at them, his ginger hair standing every which way after burrowing in the blankets.

"Josh..." sighed Blaine, rubbing his face exasperatedly, "What'd you do now?"

Josh, despite his apparent predicament of being trapped in the middle of a fallen bunk bed, had a cheesy grin plastered on his face.

"_Well,_" Josh began with the air of someone beginning a long-winded story, "I was on my bed –the top bunk – when my phone went off on the desk." He paused. Blaine nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"He thought it would be fun to hold onto the top railing and flip over to it to get off the bed-"

"Which it was!" Josh interrupted Ben.

"- when it tipped over on top of him. And now-"

"My foot's stuck!" said Josh, still grinning, while Kurt rolled his eyes and Ben and Blaine sighed. "Wooden bunks are a lot heavier than those plasticy-metal ones, you know, and I can't get my foot out from underneath it, so Ben the Boring here decided to go and get your guys before I could even finish my suggestion that I might have to go the same way as the guy in that movie _127 Hours_." Josh grinned evilly as poor Ben shivered at the thought of the movie.

"Right, well, I doubt we'll be able to lift this by ourselves, so I'm going to go get Matt. Anybody know where he is?"

"I'll help you look," Kurt said when nobody replied.

"Me, too!" Ben practically ran out the door at the thought of having to stay and wait with Josh.

Kurt raised an eyebrow and Blaine smiled at Ben's eagerness. Ben was like a little brother to him – one he got along with. Although, Blaine was like a brother to almost everybody, especially the boarders. He'd been at Dalton almost the longest, so he was the leader everyone looked to.

And so the trio ventured out into the wild, wild jungle called the Dorms, Josh calling after them. "Um – guys – GUYS! Can someone get me a glass of water please? Anyone? N- No? Okay then, that's cool! Another time!"

They strolled down the hall, enjoying hearing Josh's helpless yells fading until he gave up. Blaine looked at Kurt. "You do downstairs, I'll do up? Then we'll work back to here." Kurt nodded and walked down the stairs.

Blaine didn't realise he was still watching Kurt until he was called back to reality by a small cough from Ben.

"Oh. Right. Well, upstairs then! Have you seen Matt recently?" he asked as they started up the staircase.

Ben shook his head, walking quite close to Blaine. He was eager to stay nearby. Blaine wasn't swayed by this at all and continued walking. "Hardly ever see him. I don't really know him," said Ben. Blaine nodded.

"Takes a while to get to know him." Ben nodded and they kept walking, looking into large open rooms covered in deep, rich maroon carpet – or in some cases, clothes and other messes. Blaine started humming quietly, never quite distracted from music. Ben looked up at him.

"I know that song. It was on the radio the other day."

Blaine smiled at him. "Cool. It was big a few years ago. My favourite song for ages."

They walked on in a comfortable silence, checking empty rooms for any sign of the bulky senior they were in search of. Ben started quietly humming the song Blaine has previously been humming, having got it stuck in his head. Blaine listened, smiling. Ben was usually quite shy – this was a rare occasion, unheard of by many. The truth was that Ben was really quite a good singer, Blaine realised. Sure, it could do with some fine tuning, strengthening and more confidence, but the younger boy had a sweet, smooth sound in his voice with the vulnerability of an untrained singer.

"Have you ever considered trying out for the Warblers?" Blaine interrupted. Ben stopped singing suddenly and looked at Blaine.

"Me?" Blaine nodded. "N-no, not really. I don't think I..." he trailed off into silence sounding unsure about what to say.

"You don't think you what?" Blaine asked, looking down at Ben. "That you're good enough? You're not a good singer?" Ben shrugged. "Well, you are. From me to you, you're good."

"But yo-"

"I'm no better than you. Not really. I've been in the Warblers since I was a freshman and I was just like you. But now, look where I am! Being in the Warblers doesn't mean solos left, right and centre. It doesn't mean everyone relying on you. It means you can practise with people, learn to sing better, until you're _ready_ to take on a solo. You don't just get thrown into it with no idea what's going on."

Ben just looked forward as they walked.

"I think you should give it a go, Ben. I think you'd do well." At the sight of Ben's stunned face and his desperate splutters of, "But – I don't – I mean I can't...I get stage fright – Please –" Blaine added, "It's jsut Wes and David in charge. You know them. Besides, everybody's supportive." Ben looked doubtfully towards Blaine. "Honestly! I'm not kidding. Would I tell you to try out if you were bad?" he looked questioningly at Ben, who seemed to realise this was a good point. "Okay. You don't have to – I'm not going to force you to. But I think it'd be a good idea to have a go." Blaine shrugged. "You never know what'll happen. Think about it, kay?" Blaine gave Ben an encouraging look and ruffled his already messy hair he presumed was a result of Josh's antics. "Alright, whoever finds Josh first gets five bucks and dinner made for them – GO!"


	7. Chapter 7

_Well, hello there again. I'm surprised at how quickly this week seemed to go, yet it still seemed slow...ANYWAY, the next chapter! Thanks to my (still only) reviewer Eponime – you rock! Please anyone review with suggestions or anything about my writing or story, it'd make my day!_

_SO. We're kind of almost getting somewhere interesting. Some more new OC's in this chapter for those waiting for someone new. Hoping anybody reading this likes it! :) ON WITH THE STORY, NOW._

_DISCLAIMER: Ryan Murphy told me to stop stalking him because I'd never get the papers for Glee...oh well, it was worth a shot. It's not mine, though._

**A World Away**

Kurt ambled down the stairs towards the kitchen and large open area that served as a lounge room, dining area, party area, and occasional Warblers practise or performance area, when the boarding house occupants got a little too bored. The room had a high ceiling with decorated edging connecting the walls to the ceiling, delicate flowers surrounded by leaves trailing the corner around the room. The kitchen was rather large, taking up a large portion of one side of the grand room and housing two sinks, two ovens, three microwaves and one very large dishwasher to cater for the substantial number of boys who boarded. Despite many of the boys being in possession of a rather exorbitant amount of money and having access to restaurants and canteen food, many weren't bothered to leave the boarding house at mealtimes and chose to cook their own meals.

There was a vast wooden table nearby the kitchen, almost running the length of the room which faced the lower school gardens with tall, floor-to-ceiling windows curving around the rounded front of the building which greatly resembled those situated on the ground level above, facing the car park. On another side of the room was a range of large, squishy, delightfully comfortable sofas near a huge plasma screen television which was often blaring out noise of a football game or the news, which was in turn drowned out by the raucous group of teenage boys fighting for the best seat or the controller. The rest of the room was just that – room. Empty space useful for just _whatever_. Kurt sighed looking around. He walked across the room, the tapping of his footsteps on the wooden floorboards echoing off the softly cream coloured walls.

"Hey guys," he said to Aidan and Oliver, who were sitting watching TV.

"Hey Kurt. What's up?" Aidan asked. Oliver gave a small smile and nodded, not one to talk much but friendly nevertheless.

"I'm looking for Matt. Have you seen him anywhere?"

Oliver shook his head and Aidan replied, "Nah, sorry man. Want some help looking?" He was already half out of his chair when Kurt shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Blaine and Ben are looking upstairs so we'll find him soon."

"Sure?" Aidan asked, adding, "Okay then" when Kurt nodded. He was sitting back down eyes glued back to the television like Oliver's, before Kurt had left the room.

He wandered over to the kitchen, grabbed a cookie someone had baked sometime, poked his head into the large, empty and eerily silent formal Warblers rehearsal room – or as the boarders commonly called it, the 'hell hole' or the Party Room...

Kurt had once wondered just how much time the boarders had on their hands – too much, he now knew. It wasn't that they held parties all the time, but the people who were more – well – _not like Blaine_ – got bored easily and started doing some ridiculous things – like Josh, for example. Whatever possessed a human being to jump out of a second story window into a giant pile of crisp fall leaves, Kurt didn't know. How Josh had come out of it with nothing but a sore tailbone and a twisted ankle, Kurt had no idea. What Kurt did know was that the boy needed some hobbies – preferably a competitive sport (or two) requiring a large amount of energy.

He sighed again and turned around, heading towards the bathroom as a last resort. Finding it unlocked and deserted, Kurt turned around-

"Oh!" – only to see the subject of his searching standing right in front of him. He was a rather tall, bulky and strong looking boy with both a serious and funny face. Matt grinned at Kurt. Kurt blinked in shock.

"Hey," Matt jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the TV area, "Aidan said you were looking for me."

"Oh – oh, yeah!" Kurt left the small bathroom and headed slowly towards the stairs, Matt following. "Josh-" Matt groaned and rolled his eyes. Kurt grinned. "Josh's got himself stuck under a bunk bed. It's too heavy to lift so Blaine suggested we find you."

Matt nodded as they ascended the staircase. "Comfy monsters..."

Kurt laughed in agreement. "Although I think Josh asked for it this time – like every time."

They walked down the hall in a comfortable silence until they got to Ben and Josh's room. "Oh! I forgot to tell Blaine I found you." Kurt quickly tapped out a text to Blaine and got an almost instant reply – something which made him smile every time.

Ben preceded Blaine through the door a minute later, during which Matt had interrogated Josh as to exactly how and why he'd gotten into his predicament.

"- could've just _asked Ben_ to pass you your phone!" He said exasperatedly.

"But why? Why take the fun out of everything?"

Matt slapped a hand to his face, muttering under his breath.

"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that last," Josh said, simply trying to be as annoying as possible now.

"I said one the bed will fall on your head _and what will happen then?_" Matt replied loudly. "Just stay still 'til we lift this, then pull your foot out as soon as you can and help us out."

Blaine, Kurt and Ben joined Matt at the bed and lifted on the count of three. Josh darted out from under the wooden panelling and disappeared from view.

"_COME BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT!" _Matt bellowed, not caring who heard. The boarders were quite well used to Josh constantly being at loggerheads with, well, practically everybody at some point, but Matt in particular. Kurt craned his head far enough around to see Josh standing by the desk looking at his phone.

"Check your text later! We kind of need help here!"

Josh rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, put his phone down and stood between Blaine and Matt, taking hold of the bunk. They heaved upwards and finally set it upright back where it had originally been. Matt looked daggers at Josh, who smiled back unphased by the death stare being expertly delivered to him. Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other and Blaine moved over to Matt to make sure he didn't do anything he'd regret – or wouldn't regret, but would get in a lot of trouble for.

"Come on, man, give it up. You know whatever you say won't make a difference." He muttered to the senior as Josh continued to smile behind him. He grabbed his arm and pulled Matt towards the door, Kurt following, leaving Ben and Josh to fix up their now rather untidy room. Kurt heard Ben's quiet voice floating out the door as they left.

"Thanks for that, Matt. There was no way we could've done it without your help."

Matt grunted. "Should've just left him stuck there."

Blaine smiled slightly and replied, "You couldn't've done that no matter how much you wanted to."

Matt muttered something which sounded strangely like, "Wanna bet", and stalked off towards his room upstairs. Blaine shook his head watching him go. Kurt cleared his throat standing behind him.

"Do you want to come see Rachel and Mercedes with me? I kind of told them I'd meet up with them today..." Kurt wasn't sure if he really wanted Blaine there or not; if he was, that meant more time with him – and the more the merrier with Rachel and Mercedes, but it also meant he wouldn't be able to talk about the 'news' Kurt had received. On the other hand, if Blaine didn't come, the girls would wonder why – Kurt never went without a thorough interrogation from them – and Kurt would miss more of the limited time he had left with Blaine. He thought it best to offer anyway, and give Blaine the decision he couldn't make himself.

But even before Blaine had begun to give his answer, Kurt could see it in his eyes. Blaine hesitated for a second, seeming to think, then replied with the answer Kurt had correctly predicted.

"Um – no, that's okay, you go. Have some quality time with the girls – tell them I said hi, though." He added at the end with a slight smile, as if attempting to even slightly lighten the rather tense mood the hallway seemed to be reverberating with all of a sudden.

Kurt realised the presence of this tension at that moment and tried to be positive – he had no reason not to be, really.

"Sure. I'll see you later, then."

Blaine stepped towards him and placed a quick, gentle kiss on his lips, and Kurt took a moment to revel in the motion, before walking to his room, grabbing his bag and all but running down the stairs and out to his car.

He was...annoyed. Not at Blaine, no – he'd done what he thought was best. No, Kurt was annoyed at himself. For allowing his emotions to get the better of him not once, but twice now, and for allowing Blaine to see it. Blaine had refused to come because Kurt knew he had been basically _asking _him not to with his facial expression, albeit by accident.

He took a deep breath, turned the key in the ignition and turned the heat up. In the back of his mind he regretted not bringing a warmer jacket, and he pulled on the spare pair of gloves he kept in his car before putting his foot on the accelerator and exiting the large Dalton car park.


	8. Chapter 8

_ERMAHGERD. It's been so long! I'm so so sorry for not updating in so so long! I was away last weekend and the weekend before...I can't even remember. So SORRY AGAIN!_

_Right, now where were we? Riiiiiight okay! I'm on holidays now too (YAY) which means I'll have a bit more time to write, around all my holiday homework and partying ;) So from now on I expect I'll only be updating once a fortnight (again, sorry)._

_ON WITH THE STORY, NOW! I hope this chapter is alright, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! Whether it's criticism or praise, I don't care! If I can improve please tell me._

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters you recognise, the names or anything else you've already seen on Glee!_

**A World Away**

Blaine's neck cricked as he spun his head round, hearing someone clear their throat behind him, then remembering Kurt was still there.

"Do you want to come see Rachel and Mercedes with me? I kind of told them I'd meet up with them today..."

Blaine resisted the urge to jump in and say yes straightaway, noticing the unsure look in Kurt's eyes. How was he supposed to read that? It looked like Kurt wanted him to go, but also...didn't?

'_He probably just wants to talk to Rachel and Mercedes about how stupid you've been and how you've broken his heart,' _Blaine told himself, _'God knows he probably never wants to see you again. He should go alone, don't get in his way! He can't be glued to your side all the time – he has other friends. Friends who _don't _take him to some random place in the extreme cold and tell him they're moving to another goddamn _country_,' _he berated himself silently. _'Answer him, dude! He'll think you're-'_

"Uh, no, that's okay, you go. Have some quality time with the girls. Tell them I said hi, though." He tried to smile but felt like he'd failed miserably. He felt a certain tension had entered the room while he'd hesitated and wasn't exactly sure why it was even there. Kurt seemed to come out of a sort of reverie at Blaine's response and stood up straighter.

"Sure. I'll see you later, then."

Blaine nodded briefly and stepped forward, closing the gap between himself and the boy he cared so much about, pressing his lips hesitantly to Kurt's, unsure whether Kurt wanted this, giving him the chance to step back. Keeping it short, Blaine pulled back and without a word Kurt walked into his room, exited again with the bag he took virtually everywhere, and strode down the stairs, racing out to his car through the blustering cold wind.

Blaine watched him go then turned back and walked where he'd come from. He passed Ben and Josh's room stopped abruptly and half turned back, but ended up turning back around again wondering towards his own room. He flopped down on the bed heaving a great sigh. He lay there for a while staring at the ceiling – which was, naturally, covered in everything from photos to posters to streamers and various other decorations – and...well...he just stared. There was nothing left to think about – he'd gone through every little nit-pick thought with a fine-toothed comb over the past few weeks and there was simply nothing left to think about. He was exhausted. Not only had he just told his boyfriend that he was moving but they'd barely been home ten minutes when he'd had to deal with Josh, whose _problems _always seemed to fall to Blaine to fix and whose explanations were exhausting enough to _listen to _without adding anything else on top of them.

"It's not all bad, you know."

The words were fuzzy in Blaine's head at first. He'd heard them, but wasn't processing them. They went in one ear and out the other. He blinked and turned towards the door.

"Hey, Lachlan." He glanced at the luminous green clock beside his bed which read 5:22. Was it that time already? He must've drifted off a bit.

"Hey." Lachy, a tall, skinny, lanky classmate of Blaine's, stepped inside the room. "Don't worry about it, Blaine. It'll all work out eventually."

Blaine just looked at the ceiling, but he was listening. Lachy was smart. Logical. All-knowing. He wasn't nosy, he was just trustworthy. Heard things, remembered things, helped out with things. He and Blaine had been friends since they were both Freshmen, new at Dalton with nobody else. Lachy always knew what to say.

"We've talked about this, Lachy."

"I know," the boy replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly defensively, "but it doesn't change the fact that I can still see you thinking about it over and over again."

Blaine huffed and stuck his legs over the edge of the bed, sitting up.

"Doesn't change the fact you clearly don't have anything worthwhile to do." He replied with a hint of a smile, giving away his not-really-bothered attitude to his good friend. He stoof and rummaged through a drawer, looking for something.

"Then give me something to do."

Blaine stopped rummaging and looked disbelievingly at Lachy.

"You're seventeen. You're a smart, logical, respectable seventeen-year-old Dalton student, and you're asking me for something to do?"

They stared at each other until finally Blaine closed the drawer and opened his dresser drawer, looking for a clean shirt, muttering about 'incompetent people' and 'lazy-ass loners', but not really meaning any of it.

"What're you doing?"

"Looking for a shirt, idiot. We're going out."

"Where?"

"I'm not sure yet." Blaine said shortly.

"What for?"

"Because I need something to do and I don't think you're going to leave me alone anytime soon. Finished your interrogation now?" Lachy shrugged and nodded then followed Blaine out the door.

The boys walked in a comfortable silence for a while before Lachy broke it as they entered the kitchen.

"So why didn't you go with him? To his friend's?"

Blaine, head stuck in the door of the fridge, replied with a distracted expression. "I didn't want to intrude...he probably just wants to not be around me for a bit..." He stood and closed the fridge, emerging with a bottle of Coke in hand and walked to the bench to grab an apple. Lachy stood tapping his foot, waiting to see what they were going to do.

Blaine led him out the front doors and into the large, grey, mostly empty parking lot.

"What do you wanna do?"

Lachy replied exasperatedly. "I don't know! You said we were going somewhere, not me!" He shook his head and muttered as Blaine shrugged.

"I just have nothing to do. I'll ask you again: what do you want to do?" He strode to his door sipping his soft drink. _'What are you even _doing_? There's not point going out in this weather – it's just a stupid idea. Jsut stay here, there're things to do..."_

"I dunno, Blaine...What kind of thing are we looking to do?"

"Anything. Whatever you feel like."

"Blaine, what's this all abou-"

Lachy's question was met with an unexpected and not-so-pleasant response.

"_It's not about anything!"_ Blaine yelled suddenly. "I just want to go out and do something with my friend!" Lachy stood in a stunned silence. Blaine never yelled. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, I just thought it was maybe bec-"

"_Because I wanted to get away from here?" _Blaine's voice was quiet and menacing now as he gestured towards the school grounds. "Or I jsut wanted to have some fun? Or because I want to avoid facing everything that's going to happen and distract myself from Kurt?" He stopped and stood looking at Lachy dejectedly. "Well you'd be right on all counts." His breath rose as steam in the frozen air, his cold cheeks turning pink. He felt stupid. Really stupid. Lachy was his _best friend_ and he was just yelling at him. He hadn't even seen it coming himself, he thought, as they stood silently at each other in the deserted car park, his eyes searching Lachy's face for any signs of reaction. No, he seemed in control. Blaine didn't know what to do next. They just stared at each other through the smattering of snow that was falling it was as if they were falling half as fast as normal to Blaine, as if the longer he stared the slower time would become until it stopped and he could stay there as long as he liked.

But then Lachy blinked and turned and Blaine was rudely shunted back into cold, painful, awkward reality.

"Let's go back inside. It's stupid to be out in this weather."

He followed Lachy back inside the dorm and sat on a squashy comfortable couch contained in a spare room when told. He heard Lachy sit on the other end in the usual way he sat on couches – on the armrest with crossed legs and a straight back, with one hand held in the other rested in his lap.

It was a Lachy thing.

"When I was younger," the skinny boy began, speaking slowly as if carefully picking his words, "my family and I moved to America. We were originally from here, but when I was eight we moved to Australia. Before we left, all my friends agreed we'd talk all the time. I knew I was coming back in a few years, anyway; we thought it'd be cool." Lachy paused and Blaine heard him struggle to find the right words and take a breath, as Blaine struggled to find the point of the story but listened anyway. "I never heard from them. Not once did any of my best friends call me. Maybe an email in reply to mine every now and then, or a quick phone call when I could catch them, but nothing. I was eight and naive, I had no idea what was going on. But I get it now. I don't want that to happen to us, Blaine. I don't want to forget about you and you'd better make damn sure you don't forget about me. We're close, I know, and we're older, but, just...please don't. I came to Dalton looking for nice people. For someone I could trust and actually _keep _as a friend."

Blaine turned to look at Lachy, his eyes full of sorrow, guilt and confusion, but most of all pain and longing. He stood and embraced his best friend tightly silently hoping that it wouldn't happen either.


End file.
